The photography class was about half full, with students trying to stay away from each other.

“I’m sitting in the last row,” said Alvin Keith, 69, who talked to a reporter while the class was going on in Laguna Woods. “One lady has gloves on. Nobody is shaking hands. Nobody is getting into each other’s personal space.”

Keith is one of about 6,000 students in the Saddleback College Emeritus Institute, a life-long learning program where students can take any course they want for free. The average age of students is 73. He was in a class that normal has 27 students, but on Thursday, March 12 it had 15.

“They need the classes to stay socially engaged,” said professor Laura Hoffman. “That’s a really important value. But I’m worried this (the spreading of the virus) could be very dangerous. There is sadness and fear.”

When she informed her class that she would have to let them know when they could meet again, the students didn’t take it well.

“A few stayed after class afraid that the isolation left them feeling at a loss,” Hoffman said. “Some said they have family who live far away and will feel very much alone.”

The Emeritus Institute is grappling with difficult issues like other senior-oriented programs across Southern California. From Riverside to Torrance to Orange County, decisions have been made to limit social interactions among seniors, the most vulnerable community in his pandemic.

Hoffman canceled her class field trip to the Norton Simon Museum.

“There is no inter-county travel,” she said. “My students are nervous. They’re staying home. They’re nervous about coming to class.”

At The Earlwood, a senior living center for 82 residents in Torrance, administrators are limiting visits.

“We’re asking people who have traveled internationally to wait 14 days before they visit,” said Kathleen Abastillas, director of nursing. “We’re allowing one visitor at a time per family. We’re checking temperatures of visitors and staff at the door.”

She said she can see a problem developing if this period of social distancing lasts too long.

“I don’t want them to be lonely,” Abastillas said.

A sign welcomes vistors to Welbrook Arlington, a senior housing community for 200 residents, in Riverside on Friday, March. 13, 2020. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

In Riverside’s Welbrook Arlington, a senior housing community for 200 residents, they have postponed or suspended all events involving outsiders.

“We are limiting visits,” said Constance Sablan, director of corporate communications. “We’re doing verbal screening at the door, asking if people have been recently ill or they have traveled.”

At Welbrook, they are trying to battle loneliness by sending employees door to door to help residents with FaceTime so they can talk to their families. Or, they deliver crossword puzzles and other “brain games” to keep the residents busy and engaged.

“We’re trying to alleviate fear,” Sablan said.

At Regents Point, a retirement community of 260 residents in Irvine, they have eliminated the salad bar from the dinner menu.

Ken Heflin, 87, said he’s staying in.

“I don’t want to go out in the community,” Heflin said. “They’re taking good care of us. But I’m concerned. I hope the medical people can get on top of this.”

Alvin Keith, who called from his photography class, said his life is already different than he expected. He had expected friends to fly in from Germany. That has been canceled. He had a trip scheduled to Germany in May, but that is on hold.

“We’re not going to the movies,” Keith said. “We’re not going to large gatherings. We are hunkered down. but you know what? We’re going to come out of this OK. We need to get on top of the testing because we do not understand the extent of the problem.

“We don’t want to overwhelm the health system. We don’t want to see what it’s like when we have to make hard decisions about who gets treated and who doesn’t.”

Michael Smith, Torrance’s public information officer, said city crews are cleaning the Bartlett Senior Center more regularly.

Keith Sharon started at the OC Register in 1985. He's covered sports, education, cities, investigations and general assignment stories. He was one of the reporters on the 2005 Pulitzer finalist series "Toxic Treats." The Register has sent him to the Middle East (for a series on life on aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf), China (for the opening of Shanghai Disneyland), New Orleans (in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina) and San Francisco (for the World Series when the Angels beat the Giants). He has written two screenplays that have been made into films: ("Showtime" with Robert DeNiro and Eddie Murphy and "Finding Steve McQueen" with Forest Whitaker and Travis Fimmel). He lives in Trabuco Canyon with his wife Nancy, and three children -- Dylan, Alison and Trey.

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